POSTER PRESENTATION GUIDELINES (15 May 2010)

POSTER FORMAT:

The poster boards will measure 85 cm x 120 cm (portrait orientation)

POSTER PRESENTATION GUIDELINES:

Scientific poster is a useful method for disseminating and evaluating research work. Its purpose is to present work to an audience who is walking through poster presentation hall. The presenter usually stands next to the poster, thus allowing for passers-by to engage in one-on-one discussions with the presenter. An effectively designed poster is: an advertisement of your work; summary of your work; source of information; and a conversation starter.

Many ineffective posters suffer from easy-to-fix problems such as:

• main points are hard to find
• text too small to read from a distance
• poor graphics
• poor organization

Here are some recommendations for effective poster presentation:

• The title should quickly orient the audience. You should make the title the most prominent block of text on the poster (either center or left justify at the top). The title should be readable from about 2 metres away; you could use a larger font for the title (about 40 point).
• An abstract is not usually necessary.
• Specific sections such as the methodology, and the results should be easy to locate on the poster.
• Design each section in such a way that it can be read quickly, avoid large blocks of texts and long sentences.
• You can use bullet points to organize your ideas, but write in complete sentences. Someone viewing your poster should be able to read your poster and understand the project without necessarily talking to you.
• Use active voice to express your ideas in the text rather than a passive voice (e.g. "we recruited a sample?" or "the researcher recruited?" rather than "a sample was recruited?")
• Use large font that can be read from a distance of about 2 metres (i.e., at least 32 point). Your references can be in smaller font.
•  Avoid fonts that are difficult to read.
• If hand lettering is required, a black felt-tip pen is recommended.
• Use pictures, graphs, charts and/or tables (colour if possible) to show results.  These make your poster interesting.
• A softer background colour is more agreeable to the eye than a bright colored background. 
• Cite your sources in the text of the poster. Note that you can automatically use "et al." anytime there are three or more authors. Use APA style.
• Proof read carefully.

Three types of presentation may be proposed
 > A Symposium (including 3-4 presentations and a commentary by a Discussant)
 > An Individual Poster
 > A Poster Workshop (including 4-6 posters)
In each case, the main proposal should take the form of an Abstract comprising 200 - 400 words of plain text (i.e. it may not include any tables or figures). This also applies to the individual contributions with a Symposium or Poster Workshop. All submissions must be in English.
The Open Call period for submitting proposals on line closed on 31 December 2010. Authors wishing to submit proposals later than that should address their request to the Congress Convenor (robertserpell@gmail.com), with an explanation of why it deserves special consideration.
Symposia:
A Symposium usually consists of four to five papers (minimum is 3, maximum is 5; alternatively 4 papers plus discussant). Contributions should stem from different research groups. Symposia which include contributions from at least two different countries will be preferred. The Chair of a symposium is expected to recruit a group of participant contributors, and to submit an integrative abstract delineating the topic, summarizing conceptual issues, and integrating the findings of the participants? papers.
The Chair of the symposium should also submit the Abstracts of each presentation by an individual contributor. Submissions should include:
- name and affiliation of Chair (and any co-Chair(s)),
- name and affiliation of Discussant(s),
- name and affiliation of each contributor making an individual presentation
-  a 200-400-word abstract of the overall symposium,
-  a 200-400-word abstract of each presentation
(all in one document).
Individual posters:
Posters will be the preferred format for free-standing research presentations. Posters are recommended when the contribution is strongly data-based and therefore particularly suited for graphic or visual presentation. Individual posters will be grouped into thematically more or less homogeneous poster sessions by the Scientific Committee. Submissions should include a 200-400-word abstract with name, affiliation and contact details of first author and any co-author(s).
Poster workshops:
A Poster Workshop is similar to a Symposium. It consists of up to 6 posters organized around a central topic. A Poster Workshops should be organized by two co-Chairs (preferably from different countries) and should include a discussant. Submissions should include:
-  name and institution of chair and co-chair(s),
-  name and institution of discussant(s),
-  a 200-400-word integrative abstract on the overall Workshop
-  a 200-400-word abstract of each poster, with name of the first author
(all in one document).
Part of the scheduled time for a poster workshop is used to view posters and speak with presenters individually. The rest of the time follows the usual symposium format with a discussion of the findings.
Multiple submissions:
Please be aware of the fact that one person is permitted to submit not more than two abstracts with him or herself as the first author. This rule applies generally irrespective of the type of abstract. For example, you may submit a symposium proposal as Chair and propose to make an individual presentation within this symposium. Alternatively, you could submit a proposal to chair a Symposium without contributing an individual presentation within to it, but also propose a poster in one of the poster sessions etc. However, the roles of discussant or
member of a ?Round Table Discussion? are not subject to this rule.